Maybe people should move to the Midwest.

[crimsonblue]

An interactive map of the United States featuring unemployment statistics is available at the New York Times website.

I thought it was pretty interesting that Midwest had the lowest unemployment rates. Maybe the people in California and Florida should move here to Kansas. It would serve two benefits: 1) you'd get jobs and increase the population of rural states, and 2) you'd dilute the strangle hold that the GOP has on states such as mine.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. It is happening in NW Arkansas

most folks moving here are from blue states.

[liberal N proud]

2. Then the states with the highest unemployment would be in the midwest

There has to be jobs in the midwest to attract the people.

I grew up in Iowa and left because there wasn't anything there for me to do. My dad wasn't a farmer so I couldn't take over the family farm. Not that I would want to.

But the jobs there support the people who have stayed there. the extra population has moved to find lives elsewhere.

Wish it were that simple though. I think of the 30's and the migration from the midwest to California. They migrated because there were jobs in the west. There is nothing like that today.

[Hardrada]

3. In eastern Iowa, there are no jobs.

When we get some more industry and the current lay-offs from what we do have are over, then perhaps.

[Tashca]

8. I will second that.

The job market in eastern Iowa has dried up.

we normally go thought downturns later than the rest of the country....and recover later...it sucks to see what's coming.

[crimsonblue]

7. The Green Revolution will revitalize the Midwest

Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahama, and other midwest states are the prime locations for Massive wind farms, bio-fuel plants, and the states have the room to add the needed transmission capacity to serve the rest of the country. We truly could make the Midwest the "green engine" of the entire economy of the US.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a migration away from the coasts in the near future. The midwest (rural midwest, excluding large cities) has been relatively unharmed by the housing bubble, and the cost of living is very low. A person in Kansas can find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, house close to good schools for $150,000, and energy and food prices are the lowest in the midwest (gas has been at $~1.75 for 3-4 months, milk is $2.50/gal, bread and cereals are cheap because of plentiful harvests in the past few years). Once you get past the christian fundamentalism (ha. no easy task!), the midwest is a great place to live. You get to experience nature in its raw form much more (I actually enjoy the scenic 3 hour drives from Lawrence to my hometown), and the air quality is much better (the Kansas wind- combined with converging wind patterns from the Rockies, Gulf of Mexico, and Canada- is very effective at pushing away pollutants in the air).

[Donnachaidh]

4. I drove through Kansas twice -- no thank you.

Too flat, nothing for miles. I'll stay in my east coast red state, as difficult as it is, for now.

[ogneopasno]

5. Depends on what kind of job you want, I guess.

[thewiseguy]

6. Who would want to live in Kansas?

[SoCalDem]

89. Kansas is quite pretty..hot as hell in the summer, but overall, not as bad as people think

It's got more than just wheat fields & republlicans :)

[xchrom]

9. i lived in peoria

:scared:

[WCIL]

10. Sure, come to my part of Illinois

if what you are looking for is $7.50/hr part time retail work.

[maxsolomon]

11. I wake up in the morning with this view:

I'll sell my kidneys before i go back to Cincinnati. You should leave, too.

[Fire1]

18. Gorgeous!!! lmao about the kidneys!! Where is this?

[maxsolomon]

21. That's Mt. Rainier from Seattle.

i am fortunate enough to have this view from the SE corner of my living room.

[Fire1]

22. Bite me! lol

[Sequoia]

26. Aren't you the lucky one !!!

[maxsolomon]

57. And I didn't even "work hard" to get it.

I married into a view!

[Sequoia]

63. Did you only marry your spouse for "the view"?

Instead of say, brain or money? (wink)

[EmeraldCityGrl]

33. I have a SE view of MT. Rainier from my

Tiger MT. home as well.


:hi:

[SoCalDem]

91. Mt Rainier is a figment of your imagination

I spent an entire week one June and never saw the damned thing.. always with the clouds.. as we got back on the plane to come back to Chicago, the p-erson running the travel agent tour, gave each of us a slide of Mt rainier :)

[taught_me_patience]

12. You could offer me a suitcase

filled with 200k cash to move to the midwest and I wouldn't take it. Sorry to say, but I can't get past:

1) Rampant christian fundamentalism
2) Lack of ethnic diversity
3) Small town mentality

It's cheap to live there for a reason.

[ozu]

16. +1

I'm not leaving New York, especially not for the middle of nowhere.

[RandomKoolzip]

24. Uh, Chicago's in the midwest, too.

[Greyhound]

36. Well, there is more diversity in Chicago... n/t

[dana_b]

94. I would live there

my best friend and the Cubs are there! I love that city. I would miss the ocean and the Sierras though (as well as my family and other friends!).

[Raskolnik]

65. You really know a lot about the midwest, don't you?

1) Could you please point to the "rampant Christian fundamentalism" that exists to a greater degree in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin than any other region of the country?

2) Sorry, the population statistics are what they are. If you need to be surrounded by a certain minimum percentage of "ethnics" to feel complete, that's your business.

3) What exactly is a "small town mentality?"

[goforit]

13. NOTICE the christian right states are hurting. How the Repugs screwed themselves.

[crimsonblue]

67. Um, isn't California pretty liberal?

How are their books looking right now?

[Mari333]

14. we dont have jobs but we have WATER in Michigan nt

[Fire1]

27. Stop saying that. We have Green jobs per the stimulus. Go to

mich.gov!

[Mari333]

29. we do? okie dokie

only jobs in my town are truck stop hooker and burger king. Im too old for both. j/k by the way. thanks for the tip.

[blue_onyx]

35. I'm unemployed and...

truck stop hooker is starting to look like a pretty good option. Beats having to smell burger king all day.

[sufrommich]

78. "truck stop hooker and burger king" lol. It would be funny

if there was no possibility of it being true (well OK, it was funny anyway).

[OhioChick]

38. Same here in Ohio. n/t

[marmar]

15. They'll have to eventually anyway......we've got water.

:)

[Mari333]

20. gmta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWJPnhScrwI&feature=related

[dysfunctional press]

17. people looking for work don't generally bring industry with them...

but as an area's population rises on the influx of new residents, it can create the need for more service/retail sector jobs, but which are usually relatively low-paying anyway.

one answer might be to start with regional high-speed rail projects in the midwest- creating a nationwide hub-and-spoke system similar to the airlines.
just as chicago was once the center of the rail system, it could be the main hub for a transcontinental system of high speed rail, connecting up with and overlapping other regional systems to create a coast-to-coast, border-to-beyond-border high-speed network.

from chicago the spokes could go out to msp, mci, stl, mem, cvg, ind, det, pit...and other cities between and beyond.
putting rail stations at or near the major airports would also go a long way in connecting passenger usage of both systems.

[crimsonblue]

19. KC is gearing up to be a central rail/ truck hub.

There's been work for years on revitalizing old rail lines and building new highways. I think it would be a great idea to run a high speed line from Denver to KC, from Dallas (through OKC or Tulsa) up to KC, and from KC to Chicago. If I could take the train from KC to Chicago in 4 hours, I'd probably travel to Chicago quite a bit.

[dysfunctional press]

25. isn't the mexico-canada super-duper-highway supposed to go through the kc region?

kansas city is definitely one of those cities where there would be overlap and connection of regional networks, like it is with the airlines system now.

[Tashca]

23. The ground work has been laid

At least an attempt in that direction. It is not by accident that we are becoming the leader in alternative energy......this was done to try and keep our young graduates here. After the disastrous recession of 1982....we had a massive out migration from the Midwest. One of the ways to stop the brain drain was to elevate and promote technology companies and alternative energy projects. I hope that long ago plan is now coming into fruitation......at least that was the plan here in Iowa.

[crimsonblue]

28. I think industry will make big gains in Kansas.

Many counties have free land available, reduced utilities, and easy access to transport lines. A couple of years ago, a company moved into an old elementary school near my hometown and started building gears n' such. It's a thriving business, and their central-continental location reduces transportation costs.

[amandabeech]

41. A regional rail network, eventually high speed, with Chicago as the hub

is already planned.

Some rail service already exists from Chicago to Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolls, St. Louis, Grand Rapids (MI) and I believe Cleveland.

They're way ahead of you out there!

[dysfunctional press]

42. it's no secret that passenger rail lines already exist from chicago...

i've ridden on several of them. but those tracks/lines won't support high speed trains.

[amandabeech]

49. I've been on them, too.

And of course they won't.

The point is to start the high speed service for the busiest route.

[dysfunctional press]

66. starting with the busiest route may not always be the best idea...

it can also be good to start in the places most in need of ANY kind of or even improved rail service- where you might be able to do the most good as far as getting people to switch from auto to rail. lines that are already the busiest are the places where the service disruptions from replacing existing lines would cause some of the biggest problems during the transitioning...i would imagine that the washington dc-boston corridor is where the busiest rail routes would be at this time.

[amandabeech]

72. I see your point about construction disruptions.

I was referring to the busiest lines in the Chicago Hub program.

Yes, the busiest line is the Bos-Wash route.

It is also the most congested and most expensive and difficult line in which to obtain rights of way.

[GentryDixon]

30. The waves of sunflowers are nice in Kansas.

[Blue Diadem]

31. Take a look at the difference in NW Ohio from the time that map was done and now:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/templates/zoom.pbs&Site=TO&Date=20090304&Category=BUSINESS07&ArtNo=903040299&Ref=AR

Some counties are in the 15% range now. One is at 18%

Lots of changes and job loss since Dec. 08.

[MellowDem]

32. I see a lot of Midwest hate here from some of the responses

For one thing, the Midwest isn't some hotbed of religious fundamentalism, most of the region voted for Obama. Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, these states are some of the more liberal states in the US. And if you go into the rural areas, sure you'll find red America, but so will you in many parts of California.

Another thing, the Midwest isn't all "small town". There are actually quite a few big cities in the Midwest, though it might shock many of you.

As for all the "flat, ugly, you couldn't pay me enough to live there" posts, I always find the people who post such items to have very narrow minds and use very big generalizations. The idea that places with warm environments year round, with "beautiful" scenery and beaches are THE places to live is as much a part of the myth of the American dream as the house with the white picket fence. It's a relic and a sham, not to mention unrealistic and environmentally damaging.

Every place has its own beauty, and I feel sorry for those who cannot see that. You have been duped by our culture and sold a "brand".

[blue_onyx]

37. There's a lot of hate on DU...

for any state that's not California (and maybe New York).

[shanti]

39. it's too cold, flat, and humid

nuff said.

[crimsonblue]

55. hmm..

It's not that cold: warmer than NE, IA, WI, MN, MI, IL, ND, SD, MN, etc.

It's not that flat: it's the 23rd flattest state. Delaware is the flattest.

Depending on where you live, it is or isn't humid. The eastern 1/3rd of the state is rather humid. NW Kansas, not so humid.

[Donnachaidh]

60. yeah, the SIZE of the flattness doesn't matter, right?

Delaware can be driven across in a short period of time. Kansas in all it's flatness goes on for days.

[crimsonblue]

64. You act like the state's natural topography makes it inferior to other states

let me guess, you're from New England or California.

[shanti]

73. well, i'm in cali

;) arguably the most beautiful state in the union!

[Donnachaidh]

45. We TRIED to find beauty in Kansas - we had to settle for the world's largest prairie dog

a 10 foot high plaster of paris prairie dog, with a petting zoo in the back that contained cattle that had legs of their almost absorbed twins sticking out of their shoulders, or rear ends. And some sickly-looking coyotes in cages. And prairie dogs.

But hey -- the gift shop would allow you to send freeze-dried meadow muffins to each and every friend and family member - for a fee. It was a virtual visual feast, lemmee tell ya. :sarcasm:

I felt like an extra in a Rob Zombie film.

[Pithlet]

53. Yes, because the entire region of the Midwest is exactly like that. n/t

[Raskolnik]

62. So you go to a tourist trap and then bitch that things are tacky?

You certainly are cosmopolitan.

[Raineyb]

99. What the hell is a meadow muffin? n/t

Regards

[Pithlet]

51. I agree.

:applause:

[sufrommich]

79. I agree .

:thumbsup:

[galledgoblin]

80. I consider three of those four of those states to be "Great Lakes" states

when I think of "Midwest" I think of southern midwest, and, as others have caustically noted, you couldn't pay me to move there.

[Hardrada]

85. I don't want those urbanites heading this way anyhow

unless to visit and help our local tourist trade!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

34. I highly recommend the Midwest.

Been to Chicago and Milwaukee. Loved it. :thumbsup:

[cobalt1999]

40. I recommend all the people that moved to Florida recently to follow your advice

It's getting way too crowded here and, since they don't know how to prepare themselves for hurricanes, they'll be safer in Kansas.

However, I'm not leaving.

[Donnachaidh]

48. safer? You DO know where Dorothy Gale lived, right?

just saying... :evilgrin:

[cobalt1999]

54. I think Dorothy took some acid

If there is a lot of that in Kansas, then that's a selling point.

[slackmaster]

43. If everyone were to move to a place that has low unemployment

The unemployment rate there would go up.

My parents moved out of the Midwest in 1962. I'm glad they did.

[Profprileasn]

46. many

states in midwest and south have right to work laws.

[slackmaster]

50. Which means no unions, if I recall correctly

Right?

[Profprileasn]

87. Yup

[PJPhreak]

44. I live in Ks....

And where in Cali,Wa.or Az can you buy this for $42,000...





Perfect setting for the fisherman! Cozy home situatied on 1 acre on the Walnut River. Within city limits, you get the convenience of in-town living with a country feel! Could be a great income producer as well!
Property Features

Single Family Property
* Status: Active
* Area: B22- El Dorado
* County: Butler
* Year Built: 1928
* 2 total bedroom(s)
* 1 total bath(s)
* 1 total full bath(s)
* 1 total half bath(s)
* Approximately 749 sq. ft.
* Basement
* Carport
* RV/boat parking
* Heating features: Gas
* Central air conditioning
* Elementary School: Lincoln
* Middle School: El Dorado
* High School: El Dorado

Interior Features
Basement, Dishwasher, Disposal

Exterior Features
Fenced, Irregular lot, Patio, Public water supply, RV parking, Storage/out-building(s), Wooded

Yes the wage scale here sux in compairson to the West Coast or Colo...But I Never have to lock my doors,pull the key outta my car!!

[Profprileasn]

47. Wages don't suck

when you consider the cost of living.

[slackmaster]

52. I was born in Kansas and have been back to visit many times

Things about it I don't care for include:

- Hard, cold winters
- Severe thunderstorms, tornados, etc.
- Chiggers
- Mosquitos
- No-See-Ums
- Racist fuckwads

Other than that, it's a nice state.

[crimsonblue]

58. I like summer thunderstorms.

Also, the past couple of years, the winters have been very mild. I can only recall about ~15 days where I had to bundle up really tight with cap and gloves. Today, for example, it is sunny and 65.

[Raskolnik]

68. "Hard, cold winters" in Kansas!? I'm not calling you soft, slackmaster, but

bring those sissy Kansas "winters" up to the Dakotas and tell us how hard and cold they are.

[slackmaster]

75. It was around zero when I spent five days there in the '90s

That was the last time I've spent more than a few hours in the state.

For perspective on what counts as a cold winter to me, I live in San Diego. :-)

[Raskolnik]

76. Five days "around" zero? That's what we called spring, when I was a kid.

I'm just giving you a hard time. I understand why people don't like winters that last four or five months--personally, I think it keeps the riff-raff out. I guarantee there are a lot less dreadlocked trustafarians playing hacky-sack on the streets of Chicago in February than there are in San Diego.

[slackmaster]

83. Homeless people in most cities look like Zombies in the winter

In Southern California, they look like pirates.

[Raskolnik]

93. Don't misunderstand me now--I'm not talking about the homeless

of which Chicago has plenty. I'm talking about the numbskull 20-somethings playing at poverty who think they are rejecting the man by not showering and smoking a lot of pot, but somehow always have enough money to buy the pot.

[crimsonblue]

56. Don't forget that Kansas has a good school system.

And higher education tuition rates are still below the national average.

[tjwash]

82. Uh...no thanks. I've been wearing shorts since feb 10th, and we don't get tornados.

nt

[cynatnite]

59. What little they do offer in the way of employment pays very low...

trust me...I grew up in NW Oklahoma where the unemployment is low. It's also why a lot of people leave, too.

[WI_DEM]

61. Okay, if they move from where they live to the MW where would they get jobs

for all the influx of people?

[crimsonblue]

69. cities would get bigger, meaning more construction...

to pay for construction and loans for businesses and individuals, more banks would be built. There would be a growth in the retail and service industries. Because the cost of living is low, manufacturing make more sense. Plus, there's always jobs for people to frown down upon other states with elitist disdain.

[hedgehog]

70. Wait - people moved from the Midwest (and Rust Belt)

to Florida, California, the Carolinas and Nevada because there were no jobs here. There were jobs in those places, mainly building new houses, stores, schools etc for all the new people coming from the Midwest and the Rust Belt. So now that the real estate bubbles in those places have popped, there are no more jobs.

[Mari333]

90. and they will run out of water and come back

just be patient..:)

[tabbycat31]

71. no thanks

as I spent my freshman year of college in the midwest. You could not pay me to go back there. Besides, I like the culture here, and being by the beach. Plus that would entail me pumping gas.

[MadHound]

74. Umm, no, please don't

Those of us out here in the Midwest, especially the rural Midwest like the fact that there aren't many people around. We like the fact that we don't have a bunch of people building out here, spoiling nature. We like the clean air, the peace and quiet, the flora and fauna. It's why we stay here, because of the natural beauty. We don't want a bunch of people moving here, it would spoil everything. So please, stay the fuck away.

[Kitty Herder]

77. Yikes! My brother and his family live in the capital city of the recession, according to NYT.

El Centro, CA has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. I think my brother's job is secure; he's an irrigation engineer. But this makes me sad for his neighbors. And unemployment leads to social instability. They've had a lot of crime in the area recently anyway, sort of a spill over from Mexico's crime wave.

Edited to add: It's kind of weird. I had a feeling they'd be among the very lowest, so I clicked on their county on that map and I thought, "My God, I bet that's the lowest in the country!" So I clicked on the article, thinking they would say which county had the lowest unemployment, and sure enough, I was right.

[KamaAina]

81. Recent immigrants may slowly fan out from the big cities

as has been the case in previous immigration cylcles. This has already happened, for instance, in Hazleton, Pa., where xenophobic local pols passed an ordinance (quickly struck down) requiring landlords to verify citizenship before renting! Towns that can get past the xenophobia will be well positioned to take advantage.

[Noodleboy13]

84. I love the fact that Minnesota always flies under the radar...

Minneapolis especially. Lefty politics, broad arts community, fairly good economy all things considered, ethnically diverse (for the great white north), and we have a brand new bridge that's actually quite pretty.
It is cold for awhile, but the summers are awesome.

plus you get to hear about all the latest Michelle Bachmann hijinks.

[crimsonblue]

86. Minnesota's a state? Why didn't anybody inform me.

:P

I think Minnesota is kind of like the slightly-crazy uncle who's also pretty much right with the things he says. I mean, you were the only state to vote against Reagan in '84, I believe.

[SoCalDem]

92. I LOVE Minnesota because that;s where Rochester is.. We spent many months over 8 long years

going to Rochester in January mostly :)

[Noodleboy13]

95. It was us and D.C.

of course, Mondale was a a local boy.

We do manage to elect some ..... interesting folks.

[ccharles000]

88. I might move to Kansas just to help turn it blue.

[MadBadger]

96. Do you work for Kansas in some capacity?

You've seem to have a full court Kansas press going here today.

[Raineyb]

97. Been there. Done that. Don't have the T-Shirt

And not interested in doing it again.

If I want to go somewhere where there aren't too many people who look like me I'll go to Europe. At least the food's better there and I can find a country with universal health care.

Regards

[Raineyb]

98. Bloody dupe n/t

[Dappleganger]

100. We're desperately trying to leave Florida...

I've told dh to look for jobs in the midwest and (ugh) Texas. We have a large family and housing and other expenses are much cheaper out there.

[crimsonblue]

101. Well, Douglas County and Johnson County KS have great schools

and white collar middle class jobs. You should check out the respective county sites to see if they have jobs you like. Plus, the housing is criminally low compared to Florida. :D